Li’l details about Anthem continue to fall from the sky like so many scattered pieces of destroyed Javelin. In a quick interview with Edmonton AM, a Canadian radio show based out of one of BioWare’s home cities, general manager Aaryn Flynn explained that the game is science fantasy.
For more on Anthem’s release date, Javelins and much more, check our dedicated article.
“It’s in a genre we call science fantasy,” Flynn says. “Very much like Star Wars or the Marvel Universe, where you see a lot of amazing things happening but we don’t worry too much about why they’re happening or how they’re happening, the science of it. Mass Effect is more our real hardcore science fiction IP, this one is much more about having fun in a lush game world that really sucks you in.”
While the distinction may be minor, it is a bit of a breakaway for BioWare. With their original IPs before now, particularly in the first Dragon Age and Mass Effect games, they went to incredible lengths to legitimise and explain their worlds through codexes. There’s thousands of words dedicated to explaining the religions of Thedas, and more than a couple of entries giving details on how space combat and guns work in 2183.
It’s not necessarily pure downside – it should certainly create a more incredible game world to Iron Man about in – but is definitely a shift. A closer to home comparison that Flynn was no doubt avoiding is Destiny, which recently had problems explaining what its main villain, the Darkness, even is. This is unlikely to quell fears that BioWare’s latest is moving away from what their long-time RPG and storytelling fans enjoy, along with all the co-op and looting.
Flynn also discusses some basics of the game, so if you’re looking for a seven minute catch-up it should do you. We don’t know when we’ll hear more about Anthem, with it not being due until Fall 2018 at the earliest. Gamescom, PlayStation Experience, and The Game Awards are all on the horizon, but don’t be surprised if you’re waiting until E3 2018 for anyone to actually go hands on with it.
Thanks, NeoGAF.